


The String of Lights conundrum

by hopelessly_me



Category: Marvel
Genre: Fluff, Guilty Bucky, M/M, Tired clint, early in relationship, tangled up Bucky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:41:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21859237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopelessly_me/pseuds/hopelessly_me
Summary: After a mission gone wrong, Clint just wants to catch some sleep. However, when he gets back to his apartment he is greeted by Bucky tangled up in a string of Christmas lights.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton
Comments: 8
Kudos: 59
Collections: Mandatory Fun Day





	The String of Lights conundrum

Clint knew he was staring like an idiot but what else was he supposed to do? He never expected to come home to _this_ , whatever this was, and he wasn’t sure what to do with it. His fingers were twitching at the sight in front of him and he just- he really couldn’t process it.

“Okay, try this one last time,” Clint said. “What… in the hell?” he asked. He was really trying not to sound annoyed by the whole thing but his heart was still racing, his head pounding.

Bucky sat tangled up in a string of lights, the world’s most defeated look on his face. There were baubles scattered everywhere, a few even broke from when he must have crash landed, and his fake tree smashed beyond repair. The way he looked up at Clint, almost like he was nervous, wasn’t helping Clint’s confusion anymore than seeing Bucky wearing one of Clint’s Hawkeye hoodies. _When did sharing hoodies become a thing? Wait- where did he even find that one? Do I even own that one? Focus, Barton._

“Like… why do you have my Christmas stuff out? Why are you wearing a Santa hat? I have a million questions and-”

“Your birthday was last month and you didn’t make a fuss about it,” Bucky said as if that mattered.

“Okay… so?” Clint asked slowly, unable to connect the dots. _If he would stop looking so damn nervous and adorable maybe I could think. Oh god- he just scrunched his nose. That should not be cute. Why is that cute? Oh my- he just licked his lips. Help me._

“You didn’t… I mean, uh- you like Christmas?” Bucky offered.

“It’s _July_ , Barnes,” Clint scolded.

Clint wasn’t exactly in the mood for all of this. He just got home from a mission that had gone horrifically wrong, and he had no one to blame but himself. He wanted to sulk by himself for a few days before he had to pull himself back together. So when he got to his apartment and saw the lights on, his mind was already racing. And when he found out it was Bucky in there, he had no idea what to think, his mind being pulled in twelve different directions.

Clint had waited a long time before he had worked up the nerve to ask Bucky out on a date. He wasn’t even sure when the feelings had hit first. It started out so innocent, teaching Bucky how to use a phone, showing him memes, which then turned into sending each other gifs whenever possible. The few minutes they spent together slowly turned into hours. Having movie nights in turned into trivia nights out- having a few beers and not caring if they won or lost. And somewhere between the drunken cab rides and the late night strolls through the park on those nights neither of them could sleep, Clint had fallen hopelessly in love with Bucky Barnes.

But they had rules about this dating thing. They had to take it slow. Clint was notorious for falling too fast, was too quick to run when things got the least bit awkward or hard. And Bucky was too willing to agree to things, had a hard time saying no because he didn’t want to disappoint people; Bucky needed time to sort out exactly what he wanted and needed in a relationship. It was like wading in troubled waters sometimes as they tried to figure out their footing in something neither of them were completely comfortable in. Though Clint would never admit to it, he appreciated the rules they both set in place.

“Wait- how did you get into my apartment?” Clint asked. “I don’t think I gave you a key, did I?” he asked.

Bucky looked even more guilty now. “I might have scaled your east wall and climbed in through the window.” _I really need to remember to lock those. But then if I forget my key and Natasha is not home I wouldn’t be able to get in. Maybe I should just give Bucky a key. Is it too soon to give Bucky a key?_

Clint groaned and rubbed his face. “I have a stalker boyfriend. You could have asked Natasha, y’know? Or hell, I think Steve still has a key of mine.”

“Can you maybe help me out of this mess instead of just whining?” Bucky asked.

“Whining? You gave me a flippin’ heart attack and you are saying I am whining,” Clint said with a laugh. He sat down and leaned his head against Bucky’s shoulder for a minute. “Babe, you gotta stop being sneaky. That’s my job, remember?”

Clint quietly worked at undoing the knots in the lights, somehow surprised Bucky had managed to get them on this tight. He really wished he had a video feed set up so he could have watched the moment all of this unfolded. Doing the small task at least set his mind at ease as he went, even if Bucky’s looks kept making his heart race a little every time he caught him staring.

“Natasha said you had a hell of a mission,” Bucky commented.

“I was going to call you when I woke up,” Clint muttered. “I just needed some time and space.” He glanced up at Bucky. “Not mad?” Bucky shook his head. “Cool, thanks.” He looked back down at his work and scooted a little closer to Bucky, leaning down to loosen the knot. “One more and I think it’ll be loose enough to slip off ya.”

Clint was getting more tired by the second it seemed and he had to pause to rub the sleep off of his face. He blinked a few times before he went back to work. He almost wished Bucky would talk about something, anything, but he wasn’t sure exactly how to ask for Bucky to ramble on.

“I love you.”

“Uh huh.” He didn’t need to look up, figuring Bucky still had on that guilty look across his face. 

“No, Clint.” Clint paused and looked up just as he got another knot loosened. Bucky smiled a little more. “I really do love you.” Clint dropped the lights from his hands and sat still for a moment, not sure what to do with that.

“Babe… I know, we are kinda dating,” Clint said carefully.

“Do you though?” Bucky asked, squirming a little before the lights shimmied down his arms and pooled at his hips. Clint looked down before back up at him. “Just making sure because-”

“Stop- stop talking,” Clint sighed before he leaned in and kissed his cheek, standing up with a little more effort than he cared for. He held a hand down and pulled Bucky to his feet, the lights hitting the floor. “I love you too.”

“Sap,” Bucky teased lightly.

“Jerk,” Clint replied with a smile. “I’m taking a nap. When I wake up it better look like Christmas came by and threw up all over the place, Barnes. If not, I’m going to question your love for me.”

“It’s going to look so merry and bright you are going to die,” Bucky warned as Clint walked to his bedroom. 

Clint had to hide the growing smile, waving a hand lazily. “You are going to be the absolute death of me, Buck.”

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm not _quite_ sure if this one meets the requirements of the prompt (someone confessing their love and the other just... so dang in love with them it's crazy), but I love the sappiness so I figured it _might_ work well enough. Cheers!


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